BLENDED LEARNING AND ONLINE COURSE

Part-time online program

An online program that allows students to take less than a full load of online courses, as de ned by local or state legal entities. Sometimes refers to a "supplemental online program".

Full-time online instructor

Any course instructor who carries a full load, as defined locally, by contract or policy.

E-course

Any course offered over the Internet.

Online course

Any course offered over the Internet.

At-risk student

Any student who is performing poorly academically, or who may face learning impediments not limited to socioeconomic status, behavioral and learning disabilities, and home, family, and community stresses; may also speci cally refer to students in danger of not passing a course or graduating.

Blog

As a noun, a website or a section of website used for expressing ideas and opinions of users in multiple modalities, often maintained by one leader. As a verb, maintaining or adding content to an ongoing asynchronous discussion housed at a target website.

Internet

A vast computer network connecting users worldwide via TCP/IP protocol.

Chatroom

A website or part of a website or an online service that offers communities a synchronous venue for discussing speci c topics.

Engagement

Active participation in a course to promote retention and understanding for deeper learning.

Competency-based learning

1) Students advance upon mastery. 2) Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students. 3) Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience for students. 4) Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs. 5) Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge along with the development of important skills and dispositions.

Blended course

A course that combines two modes of instruction, online and face-to-face.

Cyberschool (also online school and virtual school)

A formally constituted organization (public, private, state, charter, etc.) that o ers full-time education delivered primarily over the Internet.

Threaded Discussion

A forum that includes a running commentary of messages used by a group to facilitate asynchronous online discussions.

Virtual class

A group of students assigned to the same online course.

State virtual school

An entity created and supported by a state to provide online academic courses to elementary, middle, and high school students using qualified online teachers.

Distance education

general term for any type of educational activity in which the participants are at a distance from each other--in other words, are separated in space. They may or may not be separated in time (asynchronous vs. synchronous).

Intranet

A private network using the Internet within an enterprise for authorized users.

Wiki

A restricted or open website developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to create, add and edit content.

Webinar

A seminar which is conducted over the World Wide Web. It is a type of web conferencing. A webinar is "live" in the sense that information is conveyed according to an agenda, with a starting and ending time. (Joy, 2004, p. 15)

Part-time online student

A student who does not take a full load of online courses.

Full-time online student

A student who takes all his/her courses over the Internet.

Asynchronous learning

Communication exchanges which occur in elapsed time between two or more people. Examples are email, online discussion forums, message boards, blogs, podcasts, etc.

Synchronous communication

Communication in which the participants interact in the same time space. Examples are telephone calls, videoconferencing, chat, and face-to-face communication.

Asynchronous communication

Communication that is separated by time. Examples are email, online discussion forums, message boards, blogs, podcasts, etc.

Digital literacy

Digital literacy is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, analyze and create information using technology. (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2009)

Online learning (also cyberlearning​, elearning, and virtual learning)

Education in which instruction and content are delivered primarily over the Internet; online learning is a form of distance learning. The term does not include printed-based correspondence education, broadcast television or radio, videocassettes, and stand-alone educational so ware programs that do not have a significant Internet-based instructional component.

Video conferencing

Interactive communication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously.

Cyberbullying

Involves harassing, embarrassing, or threatening a young person via the Internet, email and mobile device. Technically, cyber-bullying takes place between two or more young people. When adults are involved, it is typically referred to as cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking.

Blended learning (also hybrid learning)

Learning that is facilitated by the effective combination of different modes of delivery, models of teaching and styles of learning, and is based on transparent communication amongst all parties involved with a course.

Digital citizenship

Norms of behavior with regard to technology use, including the practice of netiquette, ethical and legal online behavior.

Attendance

Number of students actively participating in a course, school, or scheduled session

Self-paced

Online courses in which students work at their own pace within an overall timeframe.

Online professional development

Professional development delivered over the Internet.

Credit recovery

Refers to a student passing, and receiving credit for, a course that he/she previously attempted but did not succeed in earning academic credit towards graduation.

Brick and mortar schools

Refers to traditional school or traditional school building, as contrasted with an online school.

Discussion board

See "Threaded Discussion".

Instructional designer

Someone who uses the principles of learning, pedagogy, and content frameworks to create teaching materials and experiences for online courses.

Part-time online teacher (instructor)

Teacher or instructor who has a partial online course load.

Seat-time

The amount of instructional time to earn a credit (Carnegie Unit) and in online learning is indicated by amount of time engaged in coursework.

Highly Qualified Teacher

The current federal de nition of a "highly qualified teacher" is one who is fully certified and/or licensed by the state; holds at least a Bachelor's degree from a four-year institution; and demonstrates competence in each core academic subject area in which he or she teaches.

Instructional media

The materials that teachers use to teach and students use to learn (for example, printed text, digitized text, software, speech, images).

Course enrollment

The number of students formally in a course. Course enrollment data are infuenced by registration periods, duration of course (semester, year-long, or exible schedules for competency-based credits), drop/add periods and "count" dates that determine accuracy of number of students enrolled per course, completion and/or attrition rates.

Drop-out rate

The number of students who do not complete a course as a percentage of the number who enrolled.

Online teacher

The person who is responsible for instruction in an online course.

Pace/pacing

The speed or time allotted with which a teacher or student moves through a course.

Learning Management System (LMS)

The technology platform through which online courses are offered. An LMS generally includes so ware for creating and editing course content, communication tools, assessment tools, and other features for managing the course.

Learning Management System (LMS)

The technology platform through which students' access online courses. A LMS generally includes software for creating and editing course content, communication tools, assessment tools, and other features for managing the course.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)

The use of educational software to enhance the mastering of educational concepts or standards without the involvement of a teacher.

Online facilitator

This term is used in two ways. 1) for part-time online programs is the person working face-to-face with the online student to monitor student progress and attendance, providing training, assist in motivating the student, etc. The person may or may not be a certi ed teacher but works in conjunction with the certified online teacher. 2) Used interchangeably with online teacher or online educator.

Face-to-face

When two or more people meet in person.